Phaidon Press just published a new book,
The Documentary Impulse, by former Magnum president Stuart Franklin. When I was surfing the Internet for new photography and art books, this title grabbed my attention with it's cover design: an abstract image of the front of a Leica M digital camera! To say my curiosity was piqued would be an understatement.
This 215-page hardcover book is a personal meditation by an accomplished documentary photographer on
Quote:
"...the passion to record the moments we experience and wish to preserve, the things we witness and might want to reform, or simply the people, places or things we find remarkable."
Mr. Franklin photographed "Tank Man," the individual standing in the way of a line of tanks in Tiananmen Square during the abortive uprising in Beijing in 1989. In the book's preface, he writes:
Quote:
"Photography has been my way of making a living since 1979 and many of my assignments derive from a need to pay bills. However, if I were to rank what excites me most as a photographer, curiosity would take pole position: both journalistic curiosity and also existential curiosity, which relates to seeking an understanding of one's place in this life and how things interconnect under that large sky."
In this compact, but rich book, Mr. Franklin delves into the distinguishing features of documentary photography as contrasted with photojournalism. With reference to numerous well-known and some obscure (to me, at least) photobooks, he assays documentary photography from the beginnings of photography, pausing along the way to examine various contexts such as 19th and 20th century colonialism, war, famine, and everyday life (including street photography). Mr. Franklin also provides an overview of relevant ethical issues such as exploitation, photo-manipulation and staged photographs.
Although the book's format is compact (5.5 x 8 inches), the printing and photo-reproduction (in both color and black and white) are good. The text was written with regard to relevant historical, philosophical and political issues and quotes from a range of authors, critics and photographers in elaborating those issues.
I purchased my copy of The Documentary Impulse through Amazon (US) for $21.71. It lists for $29.95.